Pat and Gina Neely's Momma Daisy's Peach and Blackberry Cobbler

'Down Home With the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook'

"When it comes to summertime in the South, fresh peaches rule. We put them in ice cream, pie, and cobbler. We pack them in mason jars and cover them with syrup. No getting around it: we have never met a peach-and-sugar dish that we didn't like. When we were kids, Momma Daisy had several peach trees in her backyard. She'd give my brothers and me a big basket, and we would go out and pick them right off the tree. Next thing you knew, she was making cobbler -- man, was that a treat. Needless to say, that was always a fun trip, and now we get to relive it by sharing her recipe with you," Pat Neely said.

Cooking Directions

To make the biscuit topping, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using a fork, stir in the milk and egg just to combine (do not overmix). Set aside while preparing the filling.

To make the peach filling, preheat the oven to 350??F. Generously butter a 7??11-inch baking dish. Heat the peaches, brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the peaches to a boil, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the peaches have softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla and blackberries.

Transfer the filling to the prepared baking dish.

Use a spoon to scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of batter and use another spoon to place the batter on top of the fruit mixture. Continue with the remaining batter, covering the fruit evenly. Sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly and thick around the edges.

Cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm with ice cream.

Note: If you use frozen blackberries, do not thaw them, and toss them with 2 tablespoons of flour before combining them with the peaches.